Ian Hart: Brighton will avoid relegation

Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat at Leicester City sees the Albion now winless in the Premier League since the Amex win against Everton on December 29, with the solitary point in 2019 coming with the draw against Watford earlier this month.

March arrives with Brighton clearly in relegation form although I will still not change my opinion that they won’t go down, despite much speculation from the doom and gloom merchants.

Does Saturday’s Amex visit of bottom club Huddersfield Town now become the first ‘must win’ of the season?

But to a degree right from match one isn’t every game a must win?

Clearly you’re not going to win every game but every team, at whatever level right across the globe, start a game, regardless of the opposition, wanting to win otherwise as many have said before me, why do we keep score?

So making Huddersfield a must win game is almost to quote the words of Basil Fawlty ‘stating the bleeding obvious’.

Does such a tag put increased pressure on the players?

Possibly to a degree but then again it’s their job, they’re professional sportsmen, pressure comes with the territory as it does in every respective walk of life.

My continuing stance on the Albion not going down has attracted some interaction from readers, which is great, because if you don’t read this column eventually I will get the sack.

Right back to August, I stated there were at least three sides the Albion would finish above in the table. In fact I named seven and, whilst that might have changed slightly, I still believe despite this current run of form the Albion won’t get relegated.

Call it must win or not, I maintain the Albion will get points from the home games against Huddersfield, Cardiff, Southampton and Newcastle.

Four wins? Why not, the squad is good enough and they haven’t had the rub of the green for the last few weeks but that can’t last forever.

Let’s pack the Amex Saturday, get behind the team and the prediction this week is, Brighton 3, Huddersfield 1.

n If you thought Chris Hughton had it bad with a run of poor results, what about Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea?

Did we ever think we’d see a player refusing to come off in game - let alone a Wembley final?

Many have speculated over the years about the rise of player power, but this takes it to a whole new level.

And what did Chelsea do? On the face of it, backed their already under-fire boss with the obligatory fine and the usual press release but is the underlying damage ultimately irreparable?